


You Are The Reason

by hamiruan



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Crime Solving, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Murder, Mystery, Romantic Angst, Years Later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28019652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamiruan/pseuds/hamiruan
Summary: What if Rikako Oryo didn’t die? What if she was able to escape the underground tunnel with the help of someone she knew? What if the Sybil System gave her a second chance at life?Six years after the murders at the Oso Academy, a chance meeting led to an unfortunate reunion between two former schoolmates. Mika Shimotsuki, now an inspector of the MWPSB’s Division 1, was investigating a case when she ran into a familiar dark-haired girl who everyone thought had disappeared. How would they deal with the aftermaths of old wounds being reopened? Would Mika finally exact revenge on the girl who killed her best friends, or would she come to learn that the present Rikako wasn’t who Mika thought she was?This story follows Mika and Rikako’s journey as they re-discovered each other, and how the events that unfolded eventually led them down a path that neither expected.
Relationships: Ouryou Rikako/Shimotsuki Mika





	1. The Chance Meeting

Mika Shimotsuki was anxious. She had been pacing back and forth in her basement for the better half of the hour. In the middle of the room, propped up against one of the posts was an unconscious girl. Her arms were tied behind said post. Mika stopped occasionally to observe the girl. ‘She must be Rikako Oryo’ - the brunette thought to herself - ‘Even though she has grown her bangs out a bit, there’s no mistake that it’s her. No two people can look so much alike.’ 

When the young inspector caught sight of the girl on the street, she thought that she had seen a ghost. Rikako Oryo had been declared missing ever since the horrible murders that took place at Oso Academy six years ago. People had much to speculate. Most of them thought that the girl had become one of the victims, only that her body was never found. Everyone but Mika, who knew the truth. She was one of the few who were actually there when Enforcer Kougami burst into the school’s art room. She heard his conviction. She saw the paintings. She KNEW what Rikako did. Nonetheless, after the police concluded their fruitless chase after the psychotic girl, the school spun the story around to preserve its reputation. A lot of money was spent to keep the media out and to keep the police from telling the truth. They concluded that the real killer had escaped. The girls who were present at the scene were sent to a counseling class, where they were convinced that the police made a mistake, and that Rikako Oryo was but another victim of the senseless killings. Only Mika did not buy that explanation. In the end, however, in order to preserve her own Psycho Pass, the young girl had forced herself to forget what happened and to bury her grudge deep down where it might never resurface.

‘Until today’ - Mika thought back to the events that led to her current situation. It was another day on the job. She had taken off work earlier in order to follow up on a lead. Since it was Friday, she had planned to go straight home after her work was done. The investigation, however, dragged on longer than she expected. Following the lead led her to an area she had never set foot in before. Being unfamiliar with the streets, she lost track of the person she was trying to follow. After spending a good five minutes cursing irritatedly in the car, Mika’s eyes suddenly spotted a familiar figure, just as she was about to turn on her ignition and leave. “RIKAKO ORYO!” - she couldn’t help the loud exclamation. The dark-haired person looked eerily like her former schoolmate. Mika’s heart pumped wildly in her chest. She hurriedly started up her car and followed. When the girl turned into an unmonitored area of the street, Mika got out of her car and caught up to her from behind. Before she could make a sound, Mika’s hand was on her mouth while the other quickly injected a tranquilizer into her neck. The girl was out in an instant and Mika hauled her back to the car.

An hour later.

When Rikako came to, the first thing she saw was a face she never thought she would see again - that of her former schoolmate, Mika Shimotsuki. Unlike her overwhelming feeling of surprise, the brown-haired girl in front of her had anger clearly written on her face. The moment the girl saw that spark of recognition in Rikako’s eyes, she knew she got the right person. Without waiting for Rikako to speak up and confirm herself, Mika immediately pointed the Dominator at her chest. Her finger was ready to pull the trigger but, to her bewilderment, she couldn’t fire the shot.

“Target’s crime coefficient is 30, the trigger will be locked” - the machine concluded. 

“WHAT?” - turning the Dominator over in her hand as if to check for any malfunction, Mika pointed the weapon once again at the girl at her feet.

“Target’s crime coefficient is 30, the trigger will be locked” - the machine repeated itself.

“THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT” - Mika screamed out in frustration.

“Shimotsuki-san …” - the tied up girl finally spoke up - “I didn’t expect you to find me, of all the people. Did you become an inspector?”

“SHUT UP, ORYO” - Mika yelled out, “You have no right to speak to me.” 

She continued to struggle with the Dominator. After a few more attempts at enforcing Rikako went unsuccessful, the young inspector angrily threw the offensive weapon across the nearby coffee table. She then fished out a taser and pointed it at the girl’s chest.

“Tell me why the Dominator doesn’t work on you? What did you do? How did you cheat the system?” - she spat out. 

“I did not” - Rikako answered earnestly - “My Crime Coefficient has been stable for years. I went through a lot of counseling after … what happened”.

“What happened … you mean when you MURDERED my friends and classmates?” - Mika’s voice had turned into a scream. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as painful memories resurfaced.

After a long moment, the girl on the floor finally uttered out a soft “Yes”. Even though her demeanor was calm, Mika could see a hint of complicated emotions swirling in the girl’s dark orbs. Despite that, she was too consumed with her own emotions to stop and decipher what the other girl was thinking. In blind anger, Mika pulled the trigger.

The girl at her feet immediately tensed up. Gasps of pain escaped her lips as the electric currents traveled across her body, cramping up muscles in the most excruciating way. Mika didn’t stop, even when Rikako looked like she was struggling to breathe because of the agonizing pain. The brunette kept a steady finger on the trigger until she saw the girl’s face started to turn pale from the lack of oxygen. Only then did she let go.

Rikako sucked in a deep breath the moment the tasing stopped, then a series of smaller ones. Mika waited for the girl to finish catching her breaths, then she turned to pick up the Dominator on the table and pointed it at Rikako again. 

“Target’s crime coefficient is 30, the trigger will be locked” - the familiar voice announced.

The inspector could not believe her ears. There was no change in Rikako’s Crime Coefficient. ‘After all that? IMPOSSIBLE!’. Her face must have betrayed her internal emotions because the dark-haired girl spoke up.

“Don’t be surprised. I’m not who I used to be” - she said in a small voice. Her eyes took on a distant look as she began telling Mika her story. “Do you wonder why I’m still here? After I ran away from the school, I was betrayed. The people who had helped me up to that point finally grew bored of me. They had planned my disposal. Would have served me right, wouldn’t it? But just when I thought I was going to die, Mr. Takahashi saved me. Do you remember him, our Music teacher?” - Rikako paused, waiting for Mika’s acknowledgment. When the girl didn’t say anything, she continued. “He was a good friend of my father’s. He saw me making my escape earlier and followed” - she explained. “When he got me out, I was a mess both physically and mentally. The experience terrified me, but more than that, I was disgusted. I had never fully understood the cruelty I inflicted on others until I became a victim myself. I thought I was honoring my father’s memories by recreating his artworks, but in reality, I was using his virtuous works as a pathetic excuse to commit nonsense violence. When I came to that realization, I was abhorred with myself. I didn’t think I deserved to live, but Mr. Takahashi thought differently. He told me that my every life had value, even mine, and even though I could not change the past, I could become better so I could make amends. Under his care and encouragement, my Crime Coefficient went down significantly. I finally got admitted into Tokorozawa Correction and Care Center. When I was released, the Sybil System gave me a protected identity and allowed me back into society. I’m a doctor now. I finally understand how valuable lives are, and to take them is easy, but to preserve them is a lot harder. That’s why my Crime Coefficient remained low, I no longer wish for violen....”

Rikako stopped abruptly. Her sentence was cut short by another wave of pain. The dark-haired girl resumed her gasping and squirming as the electric currents from the taser once again wreaked havoc on her body. Mika only looked at her coldly.

“Don’t think your lies will get you out of this. I will not let you escape the judgment you deserved” - her voice was ice cold while her face expressionless. 

The tasing seemed to last even longer this time. Beads of sweat had started to form on Rikako’s forehead, soaking her bangs. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she tried to ride out the tidal waves of pain that relentlessly pulsed through her body. By the time the tasing stopped, Rikako would have collapsed if not for the rope that held back her arms. She shakily took in a few breaths before lifting her eyes up to see the Dominator being pointed at her head once again.

“Target’s crime coefficient is 30, the trigger will be locked” - it announced.

Mika clearly looked like she was trying to hold back another scream. After composing herself, however, she unceremoniously dropped the weapon back on the table and picked up the taser once more.

“We have all night. I will continue this until the battery runs out. Why don’t you drop your righteous mask and submit to my enforcement? It will save you a lot of pain” - the inspector said in a casual tone, however, the agitated look in her eyes betrayed her outer calmness. 

Rikako looked up but she remained silent. Mika could see the weariness in those almond-shaped eyes, but they lacked any hints of fear. After a long moment, the girl finally said,

“You can tase me all you want, my Crime Coefficient won’t change. I know because I don’t harbor any anger or resentment towards you, I understand that I deserve this punishment. It’s your Psycho Pass I’m worried about. I think you should do something before it gets too clouded …”

*SLAP*

“DON’T THINK YOU COULD MANIPULATE ME LIKE YOU DID EVERYONE ELSE” - Mika yelled after she slapped the older girl hard across the face. Her body shook in anger at Rikako’s unfazed expression. “I BECAME AN INSPECTOR TO WEED OUT THE LIKES OF YOU - LOWLIFE CRIMINALS. DON’T YOU DARE LECTURE ME ABOUT MY PSYCHO PASS” - she added before the taser prongs shot out again and embedded themselves in Rikako’s body.

Mike felt rage overwhelming her. She no longer just wanted to give Rikako her enforcement, she wanted to see the girl suffer. Her finger pressed on the trigger until it became numb. Even then she didn’t stop. The girl at her feet had gone from writhing and gasping in pain to weakly trembling and pitifully moaning. Finally, she stopped altogether. Her body fell forwards as far as it could with the restraint encumbering her. She was no longer conscious. Mika finally let go of the trigger.

After dumping the weapon on the nearby table, the brunette walked over to the minibar and poured herself a glass of water. She then took out a cymatic scanner and proceeded to measure her own Psycho Pass. To her dismay, her Hue had clouded significantly. ‘Oryo was right, I need to take care of my Psycho Pass’ - Mika sighed then headed upstairs to fetch her anti-stress pills. After she finished taking the pills, the brunette returned to the basement to check on her captive. Rikako was still unconscious, but when Mika went to slap her awake, she was horrified to find out that the girl’s lips had turned blue and her skin was cold to the touch. Frantically trying to feel for a pulse, Mika found that there was none. Panic overtook her in an instant. She rushed to untie the girl, then laid her flat on the ground before immediately starting CPR on her. After what felt like hours of chest compression and rescue breaths, Mika finally felt the girl’s pulse coming back, albeit weak and erratic. She let out a long breath of relief, then contemplated calling an ambulance but soon realized that she would get in a lot of trouble if the medics got here. She had been holding a civilian hostage, not to mention she had been torturing her. How would she explain why Rikako went into cardiac arrest? How would she explain the taser burns that littered across her body? And the rope burns on her wrists from being tied up? If they suspected Mika she was behind all those injuries, she would surely get her Psycho Pass measured on the spot. God knows how high her Crime Coefficient was right now, and how clouded her Hue. The last time she measured herself, her Crime Coefficient was already inching towards the high nineties, and her Hue was an ugly shade of blue. All the additional stress since then definitely would not help to ameliorate her cymatic scans. 

Not knowing what to do, Mika decided to do some research on her computer on how to deal with the consequences of a cardiac arrest. Most information she found pointed out how dangerous it was and that the patient needed hospital care as soon as possible. The brunette put her laptop down in frustration. Going over to check the girl's pulse again, she found that it was still there. Mika decided to go take a shower to clear her head before she decided on a course of action. When she got back, Rikako still had not regained consciousness, but her pulse seemed to have resumed a good rhythm. The brunette decided that, instead of taking the girl to the hospital, she would keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t die. Maybe Rikako would feel better after some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first fanfic ever so there's bound to be mistakes. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I'm also in need of a beta reader so if anyone's interested, please send me a message.
> 
> About the work, I have 7 chapters written so far but I'm planning this to be 15~20 chapters long. I originally wanted to write a much shorter story that involved pure fluff and romance but my friend gave it a read and said "You need to throw in murders" and so throw in murders I did. I hope you're buckled up for the ride.


	2. The Morning After

Despite her intention to keep watch on the girl, Mika dozed off halfway through the night. The next morning, she woke up to incessant beepings. Half asleep, she bent down to grab the phone that was making the noises. It was Rikako's. Mika quickly glanced down to check on the girl and saw that she was still breathing. Checking the message on the phone, Mika found that it was Rikako’s workplace asking whether she was coming to work. Sleepily typed in a quick response, Mika then threw the phone back on the table without a second thought and went back to sleep.

The second time she awoke was to loud bangings on her door. Startled, she let out a curse then jogged upstairs to see what was going on. To her panic, a group of MWPSB was at her door. One flashed their badge at her and stated his purpose,

"We have reports of a suspicious absence of a person and her GPS signal traced back to this apartment. So, if you don't mind, we'd like to come in for a search."

"What.... no.. there's no missing person here. I ... I'm also an MWPSB ..." Mika clumsily tried to search for her badge but soon realized that she had left it in her bedroom. The policeman, however, did a quick scan of her face and confirmed that she was indeed a Ministry of Wellsfare's inspector.

"Our apologies, inspector, however, we still need to search your apartment. Our data shows an abnormal increase in the area stress level at this location last night, coupled with the fact that our missing person's trace ended here ..."

"There's no one ..." her response was cut short by a small bang coming from downstairs.

"Please move aside!" - before Mika could do anything, the officers quickly moved past her, hands holding up their Dominators.

"WAIT..." - she quickly ran after them.

To her shock, when they got to the basement, Rikako was awake. Not only that, she had somehow managed to prop herself up against the leg of the sofa. A blanket was draped over her but her complexion was still ashen. She looked up, feigning surprise when she saw the men with Dominators entering the basement.

"What's going on?" - she asked in a soft voice.

"The target's Crime Coefficient is 30. The trigger will be locked."

One officer did a quick scan of Rikako's face.

"We found her - Reina Asato. Our missing person" - he said.

"M'am, are you okay? We received a missing person report from your coworkers this morning. They were suspicious that you didn’t show up at work and the text they received didn’t sound like something you would normally send” - the head inspector questioned. 

"Ara.. my co-workers are such worrywarts. I'm totally fine. Just catching up with an old friend" - Rikako answered casually.

"We also noticed that the area stress level was abnormally high last night. May we ask what was going on?" - the inspector pressed on.

"We had a bit to drink last night and revisited some ... painful past memories. I assure you we're fine, though” - the dark-haired girl answered with a dismissive smile. 

"Alright, if you say so."

The inspector then turned to face Mika, "Since you're an inspector, we won't measure your Crime Coefficient. Please ensure to limit your use of alcohol and keep your Psycho Pass steady. We're sorry for the intrusion."

"It...it's alright" - Mika stammered out.

After the police took their leave, the brunette hurried back to the basement. She wanted to ask Rikako why she had covered for her even after what happened, however, when Mika got back downstairs, the girl had passed out again. She was sprawling on the floor by the foot of the sofa. The blanket that was on her body had fallen off, leaving the girl to shiver slightly. Reluctantly, Mika hauled her onto the sofa and re-draped the blanket over her. She watched Rikako for a moment then let out a long sigh before walking back upstairs. 

Mika glanced at the clock. It was already 9 AM. It was the weekend so she didn't have to go to work. Usually she would spend her day off playing video games or reading comic books to destress. After the events that had transpired in the past fourteen hours, however, she was in no mood to sit down and chill. She didn't even realize how hungry she was when her stomach growled. She set to the kitchen to fix herself a quick meal. As she sat down to eat, she realized that Rikako was probably quite hungry too because the girl had not had anything to eat either. After enduring all that torture and a heart attack, she probably needed some nutrition or she wouldn’t sustain. ‘I should probably cook her something’ - Mika thought to herself. 

After she was done with her meal, the young inspector looked through her fridge to find ingredients that she could use to make some kind of soup. Mika knew how to cook but she didn't do that often. Her work was busy and whenever she had free time, she'd rather order take outs and relax than meal prepping. Her cooking skills came from her days studying at the Oso Academy. The students were groomed to be good wives after all. Knowing how to cook was an essential skill that the girls were honed to have. Remembering her high school days, however, brought back the anger and the anguish at what happened. Mika tightened her grip on the chopping knife she was holding. All of it was brought on by the girl currently lying unconscious in her basement. Ironic how she had gone from wanting to torture the hell out of Rikako to wanting to cook a meal for her to wanting to murder her once again. ‘Once again.... Oh God, I did, didn't I? I murdered her last night. Her heart stopped’. The brunette immediately dropped the knife to clutch at her head. ‘This is NOT good. If I keep up like this, my Psycho Pass is going to deteriorate out of control’. Mika took a deep breath to calm herself down before heading to the bathroom to grab another anti-stress pill. “It's okay, she didn't die. I revived her. She's alive. Now I need to keep her that way” - Mika said to herself before heading back to work on the soup.

It took her half an hour to finish cooking. After she was done, she set it aside and went back downstairs to check on the unconscious girl. Rikako was still sleeping. Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed a book from the shelf, sat down on the loveseat opposite the snoozing girl, and set out to read. About half an hour into her reading, the unconscious girl began to stir. As soon as she did, however, she also started to whimper. Mika set her book down and walked over to check on her.

"Erm... Are you okay?" - she asked.

Instead of answering her, Rikako let out a small cough then immediately clutched her chest in obvious pain. Her body started to tremble. Seeing the clear discomfort displayed on the girl's face, Mika hesitantly asked, "Do you ...erm... need me to take you to the hospital?"

It took Rikako a few moments to compose herself. When she did, her hazy eyes gazed up to find Mika’s. After another moment of silence, the girl finally answered in a small voice, “Would you?”

Mika hesitated. On the one hand, she didn't want the girl to die in her care, that would do hell to her own Psycho Pass. On the other, however, she most definitely wasn’t ready to admit to the unlawful arrest and torture of an innocent (‘NOT!’) civilian and watched her entire career go down the drain. Could there be a way out of this? Rikako had covered up for her once, would she do it again, or would she rat her out? Even if the girl would lie for her, how could she make the doctors believe that her injuries were not intentional? Maybe if she dumped Rikako on the street, someone else could call an ambulance for her? ‘No, idiot! The MWPSB knows she spent the night here with you! ARGG!!! What do I do?...’’. Mika's train of thoughts was interrupted when Rikako spoke again.

"I'm only joking ... If I had wanted you to get caught, I would have done it when the officers were here". Although her voice was barely above a whisper, it couldn't hide a hint of amusement at seeing a thousand different emotions passing through Mika’s face in the span of just a few minutes. The brunette realized she was being observed and blushed in embarrassment. When she finally composed herself, however, she asked in a more serious tone,

"I've been meaning to ask. Why did you do it? Why covered for me after what I did to you?”

"I didn’t think it was worth it for you to throw away your future ... especially for someone like me" - Rikako answered with an air of nonchalance. 

“Do you really think that?” - Mika asked skeptically.

Rikako did not immediately answer. Instead, she closed her eyes again. Just when Mika thought the girl had gone back to sleep, she continued in a breathy voice, “Someone like me is never worth it for anyone to waste their life on. That’s why I accepted a new identity, not because I wanted to run away from my sins, but because I didn't want anyone to waste their life seeking revenge on me”. The girl paused, opened her eyes to look at Mika again, then continued in a wavering voice, “You see, the suffering I have caused you and many others … I can never atone for that. I would have done anything .... anything at all ... if that means erasing your pain ... but I can’t bring back the dead ... so it would never be enough. Whatever you would do to me ... I know I deserve it and more. But you … you don’t deserve to get caught and get punished … for a sin that I committed …” 

“Even if I wanted you to die?” - Mika questioned.

“I’m no longer scared of death … like I once was ...” - Rikako answered, then drifted off to the memories of her past self in the underground tunnel, bear trapped and bleeding like a hunted animal with no escape. The feeling of sheer terror as she waited for the hunter to come and finish her off was something she could never forget, “... but it doesn’t mean that I want to die, no. There is still much I want to ...” - Rikako stopped mid-sentence to let out another cough, which promptly sent flares of pain across her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to take a few small breaths but her ribs felt like they were on fire. 

"Are you alright?" - seeing the girl’s struggle, Mika's arms instinctively reached out but before she could touch Rikako’s shoulders, the brunette remembered what she was doing and stopped, "erm... are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"

“Did you … perform chest compression on me?” - Rikako asked after the pain had subsided into a dull ache.

“...I did ...” - Mika answered awkwardly as she remembered the night before, how Rikako had stopped breathing and how she had frantically tried to bring the girl back to life. 

“... I see … I think you might have cracked a few ribs …” - Rikako responded with a grimace. 

Mika felt blood rushing to her face in embarrassment. She might have used a bit too much force in her panic, but she did save her, didn’t she? 

“What do you need me to do?” - Mika finally asked in an unsure voice. 

"If you don't intend to keep me … may I ask for a lift home?"- the girl said arduously.

“… If you're sure ... Can you make it up the stairs?" 

"... Maybe a little help..."

When they arrived at Rikako’s apartment, after Mika had carried her bridal style up the stairs and into the passenger seat of her car, the young inspector was surprised to see that the place was a lot more humble than she had expected. Even though everything was tidy and artfully decorated, it lacked the lavish flare that she half-expected Rikako to display in her living quarters. Back in their school days, the dark-haired beauty was known for coming from a high-class family. Her dorm room always had special luxuries due to the massive donations her family made to the school. Mika wondered what had happened in the last six years to cause such drastic changes in the girl she once knew. Carefully making her way upstairs to the small but cozy bedroom, the brunette finally deposited her charge on her bed before asking if there was anything else she needed. Rikako only murmured a small "Thank you, I'm fine" that Mika took as a sign for her dismissal. She awkwardly bid the girl goodbye before returning to her car and drove home.

When Mika got home, she tiredly threw her car key across the kitchen island before remembering the soup that she had prepared for Rikako. The brunette contemplated bringing the soup to her but finally decided that she had had enough awkwardness in a day. ‘The house drone could probably make her something to eat’, thought Mika. What she should focus on right now was clearing her Psycho Pass, and that meant trying to forget the events in the past seventeen hours as soon as possible. The brunette decided she would call up some friends to hang out, and maybe doing something fun later.


	3. The Dream

Three months later.

Division one was in pursuit of an especially tricky criminal. A moment of carelessness and Mika found herself sitting in the ER room with a broken arm. Half an hour had passed with no one checking in on her. Pain and fatigue made her especially grumpy. She was about to lose her mind when the doctor showed up and her heart skipped a beat. It was no other than Rikako Oryo herself. The doctor was no less surprised than her but she quickly found her composure. 

"Good afternoon, I'm sorry for the long wait, we have had a rather busy day at the ER today", she said.

"G....good afternoon..." - replied the brunette while she stared awkwardly at Rikako's name tag. It spelled "Doctor Reina Asato".

"Are you uncomfortable with me treating you? I can see if I could get another doctor in here instead” - sensing the awkwardness of the situation, the doctor politely offered. “It may be a bit of a wait though, seeing how busy everyone is ..."

"N...no, it's fine... I ...I don't care ..." - part of Mika wanted to curse herself. She was, in fact, very uncomfortable with the idea of Rikako treating her, seeing how their last meeting had transpired. However, her stubbornness got the better of her. She did not want Rikako to think she was a coward who could not face what she had done.

"Alright, as long as you're not uncomfortable" - the doctor said easily then she stepped in closer to inspect the injury.

Mika instinctively flinched the moment Rikako's fingers made contact with her arm, however, she tried her best to act normal. The doctor was quick with her inspection.

"Looks like a clean break, but let's see what the Xray says" - Rikako commented then turned around to start the portable Xray machine.

"I'm going to need your arm on this pad right here" - the doctor said, pointing at the plastic platform just below the scanner. Mika gingerly obeyed.

With a natural gentleness, Rikako held her arm and rotated it slowly under the scanner. 

"All done. It is a clean break. Surgery should not take long but we do have to get the operation room ready. It may not be for another hour or two. I'll give you something for the pain. Please try to rest while you're waiting, the nurses will come get you once we're ready to start the operation"

With that, the doctor turned away. Mika's eyes followed her until she was out of sight before she sank back into her hospital bed, sighing in both frustration and embarrassment. "Dang it, she really did become a doctor."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The operation went by smoothly, although right before Mika went under anesthesia, she did silently hope that Rikako was really a changed person, and that she would not use this opportunity to stage a slip and end her life for revenge. ‘I really should have asked for another doctor....’, she thought.

When Mika came to, she felt warm and comfy. The painkiller they gave her was working wonders. Not much later, an older male doctor came by for her checkup.

"Good evening, I'm doctor Wanatabe. I'm here to do your checkup. Sorry, doctor Asato is unavailable. She's having a meeting with our Department Head for a difficult emergency operation so sadly, you're stuck with me” - he said with a cheerful smile. 

"It's...quite alright" - Mika answered awkwardly. 

"Let me take a quick x-ray to see if everything is in place” - the doctor said then proceeded quickly with his scanning. “Wonderful, everything looks perfect! Not that I expect anything less from Doctor Asato. You're very lucky to get her, you know", the doctor chatted good-naturedly as he went about reading Mika’s charts. "She's one of our top surgeons. Hard to believe 'cuz she's so young right? But that girl is a genius, don't let her age fool you. Usually she handles more complicated operations but everyone was busy yesterday so she gave a hand. Such a wonderful person, very hard working and incredibly humble ...". The doctor went on despite Mika’s lack of response. 'Looks like Oryo found herself quite a fanboy' - she silently thought.

"Alright, looks like there are no complications. You're good to check out tomorrow. Don't forget to stop by the pharmacist for your medications. Good luck and take it easy now" - the doctor said good-heartedly while giving her a cheeky grin and a thumbs up.

"T..thank you" - Mika forced an awkward smile in response. ‘Doctor Watanabe sure is lively for someone his age’.

Now, being left to her own device, the young inspector found it hard to fall back asleep. She pondered on what the old doctor had said. Mika would be lying if she said she was not intrigued by the new aspects of Rikako that she had come to learn. Nevertheless, a bigger part of her wanted to hold on to her grudge. That part refused to see the older girl in a new light. To accept the new Rikako meant to forgive the things she had done in the past, the crimes she had committed. Mika wasn't sure if she would ever be able to do so. What Rikako did was beyond appalling and simply unforgivable. She would not dishonor her deceased friends' memories by being sympathetic to the current Rikako, no matter how good or saint she appeared. With a definitive sigh, Mika closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep.

The next morning, after checking herself out, the young inspector gingerly made her way to the hospital's pharmacy. While waiting to get her prescription filled, she caught sight of the dark-haired doctor walking out of an operation room. Alongside her were two other doctors and three older looking nurses. The young doctor was too focused on her exchange with others to notice Mika looking at her from the waiting room. Even though she continued the discussion politely with her colleagues, Mika could hear the fatigue laced in Rikako's voice. Her shoulders seemed to droop lower than usual and her long, midnight hair that normally cascaded down her back was tucked into a low bun. From what she could gather from the conversation, they had just finished a difficult operation. Mika recalled what doctor Wanatabe told her yesterday, about a complicated operation that Rikako got pulled into unexpectedly. 'Guess it's the one the old doctor mentioned'. Still, it was too early in the morning for it to be over with if they had just started. Mika gathered it must have been an overnight operation. 'No wonder all of them look like the walking dead', including the usually composed Rikako. Mika's observation was cut short when the pharmacist called her up to the counter. After receiving her medications along with dosage instructions, Mika was finally discharged. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the next two weeks, the inspector was given leave from work. Usually, she would take the opportunity to meet up with friends or do something active. However, doctor Wanatabe had instructed her to take it easy and to get plenty of rest. So, here she was, browsing on her computer for the greater part of the morning on her very first day off. Four hours in and she was already bored out of her mind. She had exhausted all the web content she wanted to see. Playing video games wasn’t really a viable option with only one working arm. There were no more new comics for her to read, nor any movie she wanted to watch. Instead of going back to sleep like she should, Mika opened her work computer. Maybe it was a force of habit but she just wanted to catch up on some work emails. 

In the next inexplicable moment, however, Mika found herself typing Rikako’s name in their MWPSB's search database. The records under her previous name stopped precisely six years ago, with the last entry being “Reported missing 12.21.2112.” Typing in the girl’s current alias “Reina Asato.”, however, gave the inspector a full glimpse into what the girl was doing and where she had been in the last six years. Mika found out that it only took Rikako three years to complete her medical training. She graduated top of her class and started her one-year residency before finally getting her medical license. The girl moved out of her late father’s mansion not long after her return to society. She did not have a driver’s license nor did she own a car, however, Mika thought it was interesting that, besides her work at the hospital, Rikako also owned an art studio not far from where she currently lived. Searching the name of the studio, "The Language of the Chinese Orchid" on the internet, Mika followed the link to its official website. 

The website had a simplistic layout. The art that greeted her on the homepage was of a rainbow-colored hummingbird perching atop an elegant purple orchid flower. As Mika explored further, she noticed that Rikako’s artworks usually centered around things of nature: plants, birds, butterflies, and she was especially fond of flowers. Her art style was also much different than it was in the past. Whereas her past artworks employed a lot of dark, contrasting colors to depict dark, twisted themes of violence, her current paintings made use of soft, bright colors that highlighted the beauty of nature. If her past paintings often invoked a horrified reaction from the viewers, her arts now seemed to bring forth a sense of peacefulness and grace. As she checked out the paintings, Mika noticed that each piece of art would be accompanied by a short writing that explained the thoughts and feelings of the artist at the time she painted it. Some of them almost sounded like a diary entry. Curiosity overtook Mika, so she read on. The first artwork was dated 01.07.2114, almost five years ago. It was Rikako’s first painting after she left the mental care facility. The painting showed a marigold-colored butterfly resting on the side of a windowpane, while you could see snowflakes falling in the background. The writings said:

“Today marks the tenth day since my release from Tokorozawa. Being home still feels a little strange but I’m gradually adapting. I took the Sybil System’s aptitude test a few days ago. I wonder what my results will be. Do I have an aptitude for anything useful in today’s society, or will Sybil deem my existence inessential? I would not be surprised if that was the case. All I’ve ever done was causing harm to others. ‘Get a grip, R., doctor M. would say. ‘You can’t delve on the past forever’. He would be disappointed if I showed up at the facility again, just a few days after I was discharged. I can’t help it though, the wait is stressing me out. 

There is not much I can do to pass the time. I no longer keep in contact with any of my old acquaintances. Mr. T stopped by to see me again yesterday after he dropped me off here last week. It’s heart-warming that someone would still stick with me even after what happened. Without Mr. T, I would not even be here today, I’m forever in his debts. On a different note, I will probably be moving out of this house soon. It’s too big for just me to live in. I will miss the memories we had made within these walls.

I haven’t touched the brush in forever. At first, I wondered if I should ever paint again. All my life, my father’s arts had haunted me. For someone so kind and holy, he could surprisingly depict so much brutality in his artworks. Because of him, I had come to associate arts with the darker side of humanity. My juvenile mind could not grasp the philanthropical meaning behind his works and, as I tried to follow in his footsteps (while blinded by my anger and resentment for a society that stripped away his talent), I made irreversible mistakes. 

But today, while sitting in solitude and contemplating what path my life will follow from now on, I looked out my bedroom window. Amidst a backdrop of white and gray, a vibrant tortoiseshell butterfly made its appearance on my window pane. The poor creature’s fragile wings fluttered in the cold wind. It must have used up most of its energy braving the snow to come find a source of warmth. I opened my window to let it in. Its tired but determined wings carried its small body across the room, then finally landed atop the old easel I had stuffed away in the corner. As I observed it, a sudden, overwhelming urge to draw filled my body. I took out my old painting set and wiped away the dust. As I sat down to paint on my canvas, a snowstorm started to rage outside. Yet, inside, I felt strangely at peace.”

Mika stopped for a moment after she finished reading the first entry. Should she keep going? This felt too personal, like glimpsing into someone’s diary. ‘But if Oryo didn’t want anyone to read it, she wouldn’t have published it online’ - Mika reasoned. Still, she couldn’t explain the strange curiosity she felt towards the dark-haired woman. 

Before she knew it, Mika spent the rest of her day reading through what must have been a hundred of Rikako’s blogs. Within them, her feelings, her thoughts, and her journey through life in the past six years were laid bare. The more Mika read, the more fascinated she became in her former schoolmate ’s life. By the time she finished, it was already eleven in the evening. Realizing that she hadn’t even had a proper meal, only snacks and her broken arm was starting to throb painfully due to the prolonged hours spent at the computer desk, Mika stood up, tiredly stretched herself before making her way to the kitchen for some food. After she finished eating, Mika took her painkillers, then dragged herself to bed. 

That night, she had a dream about Rikako. In her dream, Mika was walking alongside the dark-haired girl as they strode through a forest. It must have been early spring. There were still patches of snow left on the ground, as well as on top of a few wild bushes. Nonetheless, the flowers were already budding. You could easily spot an array of colors popping among the green of leaves. Above them, warm golden rays of sunlight made their way through the thin foliage, some reflected off the snow, giving everything an almost glistening look. Somewhere in the distance, birds were chirping animatedly, and footsteps of small animals resounded as they ran back and forth on the forest floor, eager to restart their life after the long hibernation. The girls were walking in comfortable silence, both submerged in the beautiful scenery that surrounded them. Suddenly, Rikako reached out to touch Mika’s hand, pulling her over to her side. Before Mika could ask any questions, the girl pointed her finger to a spot on a nearby tree. When her eyes followed, she witnessed one of the most incredible things she had ever seen in life: a beautiful rose-colored butterfly slowly making its way out of a cocoon. When it finally did, it flew over to where they stood entranced and landed on Mika’s shoulder. Rikako let out a lilting laugh, her eyes sparkled in amusement. Mika stood rooted in place. When Rikako lifted her eyes up to meet hers, Mika’s heart skipped a beat.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first fanfic ever so there's bound to be mistakes. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I'm also in need of a beta reader so if anyone's interested, please send me a message.
> 
> About the work, I have 7 chapters written so far but I'm planning this to be 15~20 chapters long. I originally wanted to write a much shorter story that involved pure fluff and romance but my friend gave it a read and said "You need to throw in murders" and so throw in murders I did. I hope you're buckled up for the ride.


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